In a wide variety of internal combustion engines the fuel ignition characteristics have become important from the viewpoints of fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions. With the rising costs of oil and the air pollution problems, it has become imperative that new methods of saving fuel and having a cleaner more complete burn within the combustion chamber be devised. In order to attain lower, more efficient fuel consumption it is necessary to increase the combustion efficiency of the internal combustion engines. The spark plugs used in internal combustion engines have not changed significantly since they were first installed in the automobiles of the past. It is known that the ignition and complete burning of the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chambers of the internal combustion engine can be improved by using a dual spark plug ignition system. Multiple plugs have proven higher in performance and fuel economy over single spark plugs, but because of limited area in the surface of the cylinder head combustion chamber for valves and plugs, just two plugs can be used to aid in flame propagation and to diminish the pre-detonation in high compression low octane engines of a few high-end automobiles.
The burning of fuel in the conventional internal combustion engines has been improved in recent years due to regulations but is no where close to a complete burn of the fuel/air mixture, which is a major contributor to our air pollution problem. Even the gasoline powered lawn mower has been indicated as contributing significantly to the pollution problem.
The igniters for internal combustion engines of this patent has been designed by the inventor to replace the conventional spark plugs in the piston-driven internal combustion engines having one or more cylinders. More specifically this invention describes the replacement of the spark plugs with one or more unique pairs of igniters that are embedded around the periphery of the cylinder within the structure of the head gasket that is seated between the head and block of the internal combustion engine. The igniters can also be positioned around the periphery of the cylinder where the engine head and engine block are joined on internal combustion engines that do not use head gaskets. This invention provides that the igniters will last the life of the engine and not have to be replaced like conventional spark plugs along with giving increased fuel economy and minimizing unburned fuel emissions.
The recent discovery of new and exotic materials has led to the developments in reducing the size while increasing the capabilities of many products. A new material used in this product as a ceramic insulator is made of alumina. Alumina or aluminum oxide (Al2O3) is the most versatile engineered ceramic because of its high temperature service limit along with its chemical, electrical and mechanical properties. It is also relatively low in cost, is easily formed and finished, using a number of fabrication methods including injection molding for low cost, high volume production runs. It is often compounded with silica or trace elements to enhance its properties of fabrication and commonly will range from 92% to 99.8% Al2O3.
Iridium is a relatively new and exotic material that will be used for the contact points because it will transmit a spark and not glow at the combustion temperature to ignite the next incoming charge.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,068 of Norihiko Nakamura et al. describes an ignition system of an internal combustion engine comprising a metallic plate inserted between the cylinder block and the cylinder head. The metallic plate has an opening, upon the inner peripheral wall of which is mounted a plurality of T-shaped electrodes. Each of the T-shaped electrodes comprises an electrode piece and a conductive bar member connected to the electrode piece. The conductive bar member is surrounded by a tubular insulating member. The tubular insulating member is inserted into bores formed in the metallic plate for forming a condenser between the conductive bar member and the metallic plate. The electrode pieces are arranged in series for forming spark gaps between adjacent electrode pieces, and a high voltage is applied across the electrode pieces.
The Nakamura patent describes an ignition system using a metallic plate between the head and the block of the engine requiring two gaskets instead of the conventional single gasket. The electrodes are arranged in series applying an extremely low voltage across the electrode pieces. The innate spark occurring at each gap around the perimeter of the combustion chamber simultaneously will ignite the combustion with the power and explosion of a diesel engine rather than a controlled burn desirable in a conventional internal combustion engine. The problem may be exacerbated by timing advance, which could cause the combustion to explode early enough to deter the piston from reaching top dead center. The thickness of the metallic plate will have an undesirable effect on the area of the combustion chamber.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,392 of Toru Yoshinaga et al. describes a multi-gap spark ignition device to be installed in a spark ignition engine. The device comprises a metallic base member provided with a hole, which forms one portion of the combustion chamber of the engine. Within the wall defining the hole, a electrode, a plurality of intermediate electrodes and an earth electrode are embedded at regular intervals so that each end of the electrodes project into the hole to form a plurality of spark gaps between the adjacent ends of the electrodes. Each of the intermediate electrodes is composed of an electrode member and an insulating member for covering one end of the electrode member, and is closely inserted into a groove formed in one end surface of the base member along the hole thereof at regular intervals. By making the stray electrostatic capacity between the base member and the opposed electrode member of each intermediate electrode larger than the electrostatic capacity between the adjacent electrode members, the required voltage can be maintained small, irrespective of the number of the intermediate electrodes.
The Yoshinaga patent describes another attempt with the electrodes arranged in series applying an extremely low voltage across the electrode pieces. The innate spark occurring at each gap around the perimeter of the combustion chamber simultaneously will still ignite the combustion with the power of an explosion. The spark electrodes exposed to the chamber will not be able to endure the heat range associated with the chamber requirements. The electrodes may still be glowing and could ignite the next incoming charge. Instead of removing the spark plugs in the conventional manner in an internal combustion engine, this system would require the major job of removing the heads to replace the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,735 of Toru Yoshinaga describes a multi-gap spark ignition system. The system comprises a plurality of spark gaps, which are formed in series. The length of the spark gaps increases from the high voltage power source side towards the earth side. According to the present invention, necessary voltage to be applied to the spark ignition system can be decreased.
This patent describes still another attempt with the electrodes arranged in series applying an extremely low voltage across the electrode pieces. The multiple spark ignition system has an intrinsically short life span because all the gaps are firing all the time and the life span will emulate at best the conventional spark plug.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,466 of Frank F. Lipski describes a spark-ignition engine that incorporates a relatively unlimited number of spark sources within each combustion chamber, without conventional spark plugs being required. The engine includes a planar circuit module clampingly located between a cylinder assembly and a head assembly of the engine. The module includes an electrically insulative substrate; a pair of electrode members; a foil circuit on the substrate for connecting the electrode members to a pulser that generates a high voltage intermittent electric signal for producing spark ignition of the fuel within a combustion chamber of the engine; first and second seals for connecting the substrate to the cylinder assembly and the head assembly. Also disclosed is a kit for replacing spark plugs in an internal combustion engine, the kit including the circuit module and in one version, injector assemblies for use in place of the spark plugs.
The Lipski patent describes another attempt with the electrodes arranged in series. The multiple spark ignition patent and others show an exposed electrode in the combustion area. These electrodes are not insolated from sparking to the piston. The initial timing on most engines is about 6 degrees before top dead center. In the 6-degree position, the piston is close enough to the electrode to cause a spark to jump to the piston or head and result in damaging surrounding components.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,520 of William A. Clarke describes a gasket of non-conductive material formed of layers of ceramic between which is embedded a wire circuit for connecting spark electrodes, connectors and ground connectors of a spark ignition system. The wire circuit includes small diameter wires surrounding gasket openings for bonding and sealing the edges of combustion chambers defined by cylinders in an internal combustion engine. The small diameter wires are insulated by the high dielectric layers of the gasket as well as by high dielectric wrappings and a sheath of high dielectric material bonded to and within the layers forming the gasket.
The Clarke patent describes another attempt with the electrodes arranged in series that will not allow the capability of firing the electrodes individually.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,935,302 of Toshimi Kashiwagura et al. describes an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine is provided, which initially fires a first spark plug and thereafter fires a second spark plug when a required load is low and which first fires the second spark plug and thereafter fires the first spark plug when the required load is high.
This patent describes an in-cylinder injection type internal combustion engine with two separate spark plugs located in the cylinder head illustrating the capability of multiple spark plugs and desire to produce an internal combustion engine with a multiple spark ignition system.
None of the foregoing prior art teaches or suggests the particular unique features of the embedded igniter system and thus clarifies the need for further improvements in the field of spark ignition on internal combustion engines with one or more cylinders where a spark is required to ignite a combustible fuel/air mixture.